November 6th, 2016Community, Green, Health & Wellness, VideosComments Off on “David Suzuki: The Future of Environmental Rights” in Canada: National Town Hall Live Web Stream, Nov.16, 2016

The following video presents It’s More Than Just Love:“Canadians don’t have the right to breathe clean air, drink clean water, or live in healthy communities. In over 100 countries these rights are protected by law, but not in Canada.

David Boyd is one of Canada’s leading environmental lawyers, an adjunct professor at Simon Fraser University, formerly the Executive Director of the Sierra Legal Defence Fund (now Ecojustice), and a recent Trudeau Scholar at the Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability at the University of British Columbia.

Credits:
Video Production: Daniel Berish from Plywood Productions“

“What’s more important than the right to breathe fresh air, drink clean water and eat safe food?” David Suzuki

Join the conversation on your environmental rights!

David Suzuki and the Blue Dot Movement invite you to a discussion on environmental rights in Canada on Wednesday, November 16, 2016, 8 to 9 p.m. EDT*anywhere from the comfort of your own home!

“The Blue Dot movement for environmental rights has exceeded all expectations. More than 100,000 people and 143 municipalities (representing 43 per cent of Canada’s population!) are already on board!

It’s time to celebrate, and take this campaign to the next level: a federal environmental bill of rights.“

There will be a celebration and national town hall on environmental rights.

You will hear David Suzuki and a panel of guests talk about why securing a federal bill is so crucial, and what we need to do together to win.

They will honour the hundreds of volunteers who helped them get here,

Come celebrate two years of successes as well as discuss plans for 2017 and beyond for securing a federal environmental bill of rights by 2018.

Join David Suzuki and the Blue Dot Movement via live web stream.

For other important info and for them to send you the info to tune in, please RSVP / register at http://bit.ly/2f943Yr

October 16th, 2016Community, Frugal Crowd, Health & Wellness, VideosComments Off on Canada’s New National Housing Strategy – Canadians, Share Your Ideas & Views before October 21, 2016 + Belinda’s Place Opens to Offer Affordable Housing for Canadian Women Who are Homeless or at Risk of Homelessness

Canadians are invited to help shape the National Housing Strategy by joining the conversation on www.LetsTalkHousing.ca. Your ideas will help shape the future of housing in Canada.

The following video presents Let’s Talk Housing – Help shape Canada’s National Housing Strategy:
“Minister Jean-Yves Duclos invites you to share your ideas on the future of sustainable, affordable and inclusive housing in Canada. Submit them on our interactive website or upload a written submission: http://ow.ly/ZCax301Juad“

“The Government of Canada believes that all Canadians deserve access to housing that meets their needs and that they can afford. Working with the provinces and territories, we are reaching out to Canadians to help develop a new National Housing Strategy.

Recently, Governments of Canada and Ontario, along with the Regional Municipality of York, celebrated the official opening of new affordable housing for individuals and families in York Region.

The event took place at Belinda’s Place, located at 16580 Yonge Street in Newmarket.

The facility provides 37 units for women who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.

The following video presents Belinda’s Place:“This is Belinda’s Place and it’s part of our community here in York Region. It’s where women who are homeless or at risk of being homeless can get back on their feet. And it’s where caring staff work with clients to create a brighter future and pave the way to get there.
For more information on Belinda’s Place, visit york.ca/housing and BelindasPlace.ca.“

Governments of Canada and Ontario Celebrate New Affordable Housing in York Region

NEWS RELEASE

Governments of Canada and Ontario Celebrate New Affordable Housing in York Region

The following video presents 2016 Budget Includes Increase to NHH and CMH:
“As part of the 2016 Budget, Ontario is continuing to make greater investment in the Northumberland County health care system and across the province to give Ontarians faster access to the right care, now and in the future. In 2016-17, the government would be investing $51.8 billion in health care, including Northumberland Hills Hospital and Campbellford Memorial Hospital…..”

More than $2.8 million for Michael Garron Hospital (formerly Toronto East General Hospital)

More than $1.3 million for St. Joseph’s Health Centre

More than $5.5 million for St. Michael’s Hospital

$10 million for Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre

More than $4.3 million for The Hospital for Sick Children

$10 million for the University Health Network.

Ontario also plans to invest $12 billion over 10 years in capital grants to hospitals to build modern infrastructure. About 35 major hospital projects are now underway across the province. Ontario is also increasing provincewide funding to hospitals this year by more than $345 million. This is part of a total investment of $51.8 billion in health care — a 2 per cent increase over last year.

Under the renewed federal Gas Tax Fund (GTF), allocations to provinces and territories over the first five years of the New Building Canada Plan (NBCP) (2014-2019) are based on Census 2011 data, as follows:

Jurisdiction

GTF Allocation

Newfoundland and Labrador

$155,298,305

Prince Edward Island

$78,000,000

Nova Scotia

$276,775,682

New Brunswick

$225,275,924

Quebec

$2,382,738,448

Ontario

$3,873,734,778

Manitoba

$340,447,890

Saskatchewan

$292,707,395

Alberta

$1,084,982,788

British Columbia

$1,317,039,837

Yukon

$78,000,000

Northwest Territories

$78,000,000

Nunavut

$78,000,000

First Nations

$138,998,953

Canada

$10,400,000,000

Specific allocations to municipalities are determined through federal-provincial-territorial GTF agreements. Allocations for 2019-2024 will be based on Census 2016 data.

Recently, Canada’s Federal, Provincial and Local Government officials joined together to announce the approval of the seven new community projects that will improve drinking water, better protect the environment and provide new recreational opportunities for residents across British Columbia.

The projects relate to wastewater, recreational infrastructure, drinking water, and brownfield redevelopment. The projects will better protect the marine ecosystems, and build new places for recreational activities.

The following video presents Greater Nanaimo Pollution Control Centre:

“This is a possible scenario of the expansion to secondary treatment at Greater Nanaimo Pollution Control Centre. Changes may be made in both the technology used and the layout.“

Among the projects is a wastewater outfall project for the Regional District of Nanaimo:

Image above shows location of the existing and replacement outfall. In the Nanaimo area, wastewater is sent to the Greater Nanaimo Pollution Control Centre (GNPCC) at 4600 Hammond Bay Road where it is treated and disposed of through an outfall. The outfall begins as a pipe buried under land. It then travels along the sea floor to its final discharge point 2 km out into the Strait of Georgia (beyond Five Fingers Island) and 70 m below sea level. Image Courtesy of The Regional District of Nanaimo.

The Regional District of Nanaimo is replacing the outfall pipe at the Greater Nanaimo Pollution Control Centre, as shown in the above photo. Installed in 1973, the pipe carries treated effluent from the treatment facility to Morningside Park and continues for approximately 2 km out into the Strait of Georgia along the sea floor.

Upgrades to the pipe have been ongoing since 2014 and will be completed this summer. The GNPCC treats wastewater from approximately 93,000 residents in the City of Nanaimo, parts of the District of Lantzville and from Snuneymuxw First Nation lands.

The Government of Canada has contributed federal funding of $6 million to this wastewater infrastructure project in Nanaimo, British Columbia.

April 17th, 2016Community, Frugal Crowd, Green, Health & WellnessComments Off on You’re Invited to Community Conversations About “TransformTO: Climate Action for a Healthy, Equitable and Prosperous Toronto” on April 25 & 27 and May 3 & 9, 2016

The following video presents What YOU Can Do About Climate Change:

“Reducing your carbon footprint just got easier. This video uses animations and humour to teach people how they can personally help prevent global warming.
This is just one of the free educational products available in the “Climate Insights 101″ series. Created by the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions (PICS) — a collaboration of British Columbia’s four research intensive universities.”

The City of Toronto has set a goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by the year 2050 to help reduce the most negative impact of climate change.

“TransformTO is a project that will engage Toronto residents and businesses in imagining the transformative changes we will need to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by 80%, while at the same time improving public health, enhancing our local economy, and reducing social inequalities….

Reducing our emissions to address climate change will involve a community-wide effort. TransformTO will be co-created with ideas, advice and input from residents, businesses, community organizations, and research institutions, and analysis will help us identify what is technically feasible as we look to create the best path to a low carbon future.

Ontario Investing $333 Million to Improve Autism Services

New Autism Program to Reduce Waitlists and Provide Better Services for Families

As part of the 2016 Budget, Ontario is investing $333 million over the next five years to launch the new Ontario Autism Program, which will provide children and youth with critical interventions faster, and provide services that are better matched to their needs.

Minister of Finance, Bill Morneau, recently tabled the new Government of Canada’s first federal budget, Growing the Middle Class, which includes the following key highlights:

“Growing the Middle Class comes at a time when the Government of Canada has both the capacity and the willingness to act. Budget 2016 takes action to revitalize the economy and create opportunity for all Canadians, by focusing on the middle class and those working hard to join it.”

As of January 1st, the government’s Middle Class Tax Cut ensures roughly 9 million Canadians receive a bigger paycheque every payday.

New Canada Child Benefit: Starting in July of 2016, nine out of ten families will receive more money than they did under the previous government.

To create jobs, there will be new investments in infrastructure that total more than $120 billion over the next decade.

As an immediate first step, the government will invest $11.9 billion in modern and reliable public transit, water and wastewater systems, affordable housing, and in retrofits and repairs to protect existing projects from the effects of climate change.

Support clean technology to better position Canada in the rapidly shifting global economy. Clean technologies that address climate change, air quality, clean water, and clean soil.

Unprecedented investments in First Nations, Inuit Peoples, and the Métis Nation—totalling $8.4 billion over five years—in areas that include education, infrastructure, and skills training. The government will ensure access to clean drinking water for every child, including those who live on reserves.